


And Isn't That Cruel

by tooncestly



Series: Innocent, Loving, Stupid [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Marking, Mildly Dubious Consent, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Spinel's Abandonment Issues, Unhealthy Relationships, connie is petty as fuck, thats it no smut for you, they makeout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-10 14:57:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20529905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tooncestly/pseuds/tooncestly
Summary: During those years standing in that garden, she hadso muchtime to think. Think about what she would do when Pink Diamond came back. How far she would bend and break and change herself to make her happy. Anything to make her Diamond happy.And for the first time, Spinel gets to see someone do that forher.--Steven just wants Spinel to be happy. Spinel just wants someone that can never leave. It's an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object.





	And Isn't That Cruel

**Author's Note:**

> More Stevinel!!! I was rlly surprised by the response to Winner Takes All, so I decided to make it a series. (Also because I legit love writing them.) 
> 
> There's a couple assumptions you have to make for this fic: Connie went back to camp after the movie, and Steven and Connie are in a sorta-kinda relationship. I assume these things are kinda canon anyway. So.
> 
> Where will this two end up??? Do they get a happy ending?? Who knows?????

Most of the time Spinel just wanted to stay in Steven's room. 

The outside world-the Earth-was boring, meaningless. She often wonders why her **uselessbrokendead** Diamond saw in this planet. If Spinel could, she would happily take Steven away from this place and take him to somewhere far, far away (one where it's just _just them_ and he can't _leave_ and he only thinks of herherher-) But, of course, Steven loves this place, was willing to sacrifice his life for it, so she won't interfere (for now.)

But. As she was saying (thinking?), she would just stay in Steven's room. With him, preferably. But of course, Steven needed _social interaction_ with _other people_ (his words, not hers). She often asked him why it was necessary to talk to other people, to be around them, to _touch_ them, when he had her for that. And Steven would just give her a look like she was crazy. 

"Spinel, I love spending time with you, really. It's just sometimes...I wanna talk to other people, okay?" And then Spinel would pout and whine and be a nuisance until Steven would sigh and take her to whatever unimportant thing he was doing, where she would just. Stare at him until he was done, to where he can start paying attention to her again.

And. Look. Spinel has _some_ sense about her. Steven's tried (emphasis on try) to talk to her, tell her that she's acting irrationally when she has a tantrum about Peridot's hand accidentally brushing against Steven's while the two of them were working on some project. It's not that Spinel doesn't realize that her behavior is bad. It's just. Well.

She doesn't care. 

Behaving like this gets her what she wants: Steven's time and attention and his lips against hers-

And really, to her, that's all that matters. Spinel can't control Steven completely (not yet, but soonsoon**soon**), but she can, y'know, redirect him back to her. Back to her side, back to being under her while she claims his lips. And, really, for awhile, it was great.

And then Connie came back from camp.

\--

Spinel really doesn't really know how she ended up here. 

Okay. She kinda can.

it all began because Steven wanted to be there when the **thief** got back from camp. Spinel, of course, threw a tantrum.

"Spinel!" Steven was kneeling beside her writhing form, watching her fists and feet bang against the floor. "Could you stop? Please?" Oh, he was begging! Usually that took awhile. That means...this meant a lot to him. The **thief** meant a lot to him. Enough to get Steven beg to Spinel to let him go. Alone.

She, of course, wouldn't allow that. 

"Look..." Steven began, frustration bleeding into his voice. That stopped Spinel in her tracks. Spinel knew, _knew_, that Steven tried to avoid getting angry with her. Because when that happens, because then Spinel will get guilt-trippy. Talk about Steven leaving. About him abandoning her. All the bad stuff. And while Spinel _knows_ she's being manipulative, it's also her biggest fear every time Steven gets angry at her. That he'll one day be so fed up that he'll just. Go. Leave. makeherstandinagardenfor6,000years-

"-go with me. Spinel, are you listening?" Spinel blinks, her mind clearing a bit. She looks up at Steven, who seems extremely worried. About her. Oh. She likes it when he's worried about her. It makes it her feel warm.

"I-I'm sorry. Could you repeat what ya said?" 

"Oh. Um. I said you could go with. If you wanted. As long as you don't do anything to Connie, alright?" 

Spinel gasps. "Why, Steven! Why would do anything to the th-Connie?"

Steven rolls his eyes, reaches out his hand towards her. "Just...just promise okay?" Spinel grabs his hand, as Steven pulls them up together. 

"Of course not! I'll be on my best behavior!" Suddenly, Steven lifts up his hand, pinky out. 

"Pinky promise?" Spinel looks at him, confused. What the hell was a pinky promise? She looks at the small finger questionably, until Steven has some sort of revelation. "Oh! You don't what that is." He reaches down, grabs one of her hands, and instructs her, "Put out your pinky. Like me." She does so, and then her pinky is hooked with Steven's and he smiles and she would kill everyone on this planet to see that smile directed at her and-

"There. Now, c'mon." Spinel's plans of speciocide are killed by Steven suddenly speaking. Steven's holding her hand now, walking to the front door. "Let's go greet Connie."

\--

Connie knew something was off as soon as she got off the bus.

Her parents were there, of course, and she hugged and greeted them. Then she turned and saw Steven.

With Spinel.

Connie knew about Spinel, of course. She had slid in on Lion and then Steven had told her she wasn't needed after all. That had solved the problem without any conflict. Connie didn't mind, really. She preferred solving things with words as much as Steven did. What bothered her truly was the look on Spinel's face. The look of pure _worship_ made her shiver. It reminded her of the look Pearl got when talked about Rose sometimes, but _worse_.

Connie glances nervously at Steven, as she sees that he's nervous too. And he's holding Spinel's hand.

...What?

This confused her more than anything. That Steven would just...let her do whatever she wanted. Usually, if another gem was invading another gems space, or doing something to them that they didn't want them to do, Steven would tell them to stop (gently, but still). But now? Steven just seemed to let Spinel do whatever she wanted. 

After all, Steven seemed kinda uncomfortable around her at first. He was never like that with other gems, even Lapis at her lowest points never made Steven look so...perturbed. Then again it's been awhile since Connie seen Steven and Spinel, so maybe things are different now. Maybe Spinel is less-

Then she she hears Spinel _hiss at her_. Okay, maybe not?

Then why was Steven holding her hand? 

She finally walks over to them, giving Steven a subdued smile. "Hey." Steven smiles back at her, nervous still. Spinel tightens her grip on Steven's causing him to wince. Connie sighs, as at this point Spinel was glaring at her like if she stared hard enough, Connie would keel over and die. Connie down, whispers "Meet me down by the beach later. Alone.", then walks back towards her parents to leave.

Even if Spinel did hear, what did it matter? It wasn't like Steven was hers to keep. The gem couldn't keep Steven to herself forever, right? 

Right?

\--

Did the **thief** think she was stupid?? Or deaf?? She could hear, you know! She knows that Steven is going to go. She _knows_ . The few times Steven has talked about the **thief**, it's with this goofy look on his face. One of adoration. It bothers Spinel more than anything. If it was possible at this moment, Spinel would make it so that Steven never talked about her every again. Because the longer he thinks about her, about how he can fix things between him and Connie, he's only going to get hurt worse when Spinel separates them for good. 

So, while she hoped Steven wouldn't go, she knew he would. And she wasn't gonna stop him, or even ask where he was going. That might make him suspicious, of course, but Steven could be cutely naive sometimes. He probably thought she was laying off for once.

How foolish, really.

So of course, Spinel had followed Steven to the beach, where she hid behind a rock while Steven waited for the **thief**. Spinel saw her first, waving to Steven, as he saw her too, as she stops in front of him. Connie looks...annoyed more than anything. Steven is smiling at her anyway, even though she looks so angry at him. Steven really is too good for her.

"Connie, he-"

"What was that?" That causes Steven to freeze, deflate a bit. 

"What was what?" The **thief** now looks even more annoyed, if that's possible, narrowing her eyes.

"You! Holding hands with Spinel, especially with how you acted around her when I came here last!" 

"What? Connie, it's been months-"

"If she was acting different I wouldn't have a problem with it! But she's acting the exact same, just with some weird obsession with you now! And you're just letting her walk all over you!" 

"It's-it's not like that! She...she needs someone right now. She's in a bad place."

"So are you!" The **thief** takes a step forward, grabs his shoulder and shakes Steven a bit. "Steven, you've been through a lot. Sometimes you need to focus on yourself, you know? You can't fix every gem coming to you for help."

Steven's looking at her, there are tears in his eyes. He looks more upset than she's seen him in months. More than anything, Spinel wants to grab Steven and go home and wrap him in blankets and kiss him till he stops thinking about her-

"I can't leave her, Connie. She needs me. And...and I need her, even if it's a bit messed up." Spinel blinks. He needs her. Steven needs Steven needs her Steven needs her Steven needs her-

Spinel feels like she could die from happiness. Like she could be shattered right now and she wouldn't care because _Steven needs her!!!!_

The **thief** looks shocked, like she was told something horrifying. "Steven! You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?"

"I-"

"You are! You're in a relationship with her, aren't you?" Steven can't meet her eyes, glances towards the floor. His cheeks are red. He's kinda adorable like this, honestly. 

"Steven! I can't believe you! She's like...thousands of years older than you!"

"I-"

"And! She has all the red flags of an abusive person!"

"Connie, i-it's not like that! She...she cares about me. Really." Steven is backing away now, slowly. He wants to run away from this, Spinel can tell. The **thief** steps forward seeing it as well. She wants to warn Steven away from Spinel, tell him that she's only bad for him. That Steven should abandon Spinel, and run into the her arms, so she can comfort him, tell him that everything is going to be okay now that Nasty Spinel is gone.

Ah.

So that's the **thief's** end goal. Steal Steven from her. Talk crap about her, until Steven leaves her for good. She had suspected this, _feared_ this. After all, she knew the two had some sort of...relationship before Spinel showed up. It seems it was cracking even further now. 

"Steven...I'm just worried, alright. I don't want you to get hurt." The **thief's** reaches up and caresses his cheek, worry written clearly across her face. Steven becomes even more upset, more tears gathering in his eyes. He places his hand over the **thief's** hand in his own, moves it away from his face. He rubs his thumb over her hand, and looks quite remorseful. What's that about?

"Connie...I think we should break up. For good."

Oh.

_Oh!!!!_

Spinel is as shocked as the **thief** is, confusion feeling up Spinel's brain. They were still together??? They were still dating??? Why didn't she know?

"I-I know you said we were on break, and that when you came back you would give me your decision...but I think I made mine." 

"Steven-"

"I-I need to go." And like that, Steven was running, running home. Running straight back to Spinel.

\--

Spinel, of course, got home before Steven did. She had laid down, taking in the scent of pure Steven from his pillow. It would be normal for Steven to see that. Steven saw her do that. A lot. He wouldn't see the wheels turning in her head. What the she was truly thinking about.

During those years standing in that garden, she had **so much** time to think. Think about what she would do when Pink Diamond came back. How far she would bend and break and change herself to make her happy. Anything to make her Diamond happy.

And for the first time, Spinel gets to see someone do that for **her**.

She wants to cry. She wants to smile. She wants to-

Steven is here. He's entered his room, he looks...pathetic, really. Like one touch would break him.

"Steven?" Spinel's trying to play it cool, she has no idea if it's working. Steven doesn't seem to notice, he just crawls into the bed with her and just...collapses against her. He's crying harder now, small hiccups and sobs leaving his mouth. Spinel just wraps her arms around him, letting him lay there and take what comfort he can from her.

"I...was so stupid, you know? I-i thought she would understand." 

"You're not stupid, Steven." Spinel grips his chin tilting up so Steven can see her face. "I promise." His crying has reduced now, and Steven's staring at her with some sort of...look. She's never seen him look at her like that. It's-

And then Steven kisses her. Kisses _her_

Usually, Spinel is the one to start this. The kissing. But Steven is so desperate for stability, for anything to grasp to. He wasn't going to listen to the **thief's** lies. He was going to stay with Spinel, because he needed her as much she needed him. It was _beautiful_.

Spinel slips her tongue under his, swallowing the whine that comes from Steven. She deepens the kiss, pushing Steven back onto the bed. He lets her, sighing contently as explores his mouth. Spinel breaks the kiss, smiling softly at him as he catches his breath. Spinel begins to kiss down Steven's neck, Steven letting out a small gasp when he feels teeth graze his neck.

"Spinel...?"

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Steven. I got you." Spinel nips at his neck, then full-on _bites_ him. Steven whines again, his back arching his back a little as Spinel sucks a bruise onto his neck. When she's done with that one, she kisses it lightly, then moves down slightly to create another one. She licks, nips, and tucks at the skin, causing Steven to make such lovely noises. When she finished, she looked down on her work, smiling widely. Now there were two giant marks on Steven's neck, almost overlapping each other. Steven's eyes are unfocused and he's breathing hard, trying to speak but unable to at the moment. Finally, he takes a deep breath through his nose and speaks.

"Spinel...Where did you...?"

"Don't worry about it, okay? Just got to sleep. You seem tired." Steven blinks, about to say something, when a yawn escapes his lips. Spinel giggles, grabbing Steven's blanket and tugs him in. "See? We'll talk about this later all right?" Steven just nods, closing his eyes and curls up on his side. Spinel lays down next to him, rubbing his back. Staring. 

Steven was one step closer to being completely hers.

Steven needed her.

**Author's Note:**

> Plot twist: Spinel knows what she's doing. To an extent. She still has a lot of issues, but that doesn't mean she isn't manipulative.
> 
> Check out stevinel.tumblr.com to send in a request or just to chat!!


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